Method of spreading manure



oct. 10, 1944. W GR|FF1THS 2,360,126

METHOD OF SPREADING MANURE Original Filed July 23, 1942 N: Y l

222097Z@ 7": da-Zim??? Gray/@Z255 Patented Oct. 10, 19744 METHOD FSPREADING MANURE William Griiths, Black Creek, Wis.

Original application July 23, 1942, Serial No.

Divided and this application August 9, 1943, Serial No. 497,943

2 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a method of spreading Ifertilizer. Moreparticularly, it relates to a method of spreading a natural fertilizer,such as manure, and is a division of my present application onFertilizer spreader, Serial No. 452,043, filed July 23, 1942.

Heretofore, manure or other fertilizers have only been spread in a solidform inasmuch as agriculturalists and manufacturers had not appreciatedthe advantages possible from the combined use of liquid fertilizer withthe solid fertilizer, with the result that largequanti'ties of naturalliquid portions of manure were constantly wasted.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a method ofhandling manure preliminary to spreading as a, fertilizer.

Other and further important objects of this invention will becomeapparent -from the following detailed description and accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a form of spreader construction,embodying the method of fertilizer distributor of this invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. I

In order to more adequately describe the principles of the method ofspreading manure, the following description will show the application toa spreader machine.

The spreader includes a main body, generally indicated at I0, includinga pair of transversely spaced, vertical side sheets I I and I2, and abottom I3. As best shown in Figure 1, the bottom includes a depending,intermediate floor section I4 and a pair of oppositely, upwardly slopingfloor sections I5 and I6. As will be hereinafter more fully described,the bottom4 I3 is liquid tight and has liquid-tight connection with theside sheets II and I2.

The front floor section I5 slopes upwardly toward the front end of thespreader body I0 and 4is associated with a front wall portion I1extending transversely across the bottom. The wall I1 is formed as partof a front end structure that includes a pair of plate members I8,spaced transversely apart and respectively associated with the sidesheets II and I2. The frontend structure further includes a forwardlyextending draft or hitch means I9, which may be suitably connected toatractor or other source of draft power.

The rear end of the spreader ,body I0 is suitablycaried on a transverseaxle 20 and a pair of wheels 2l. The axle 20 is appropriately secured bybrackets 22 to the under portion of the body I0.

As will be seen from the description thus far, the body I0 differs fromthe usual spreader body in that it has a depending, intermediate,liquidtight portion, the side sheets Il and I2, and the floor I3combining to provide a liquid-tight, hopper-like body having anintermediate portion disposed at a level below the opposite endportions. This construction enables the body I0 to contain a supply ofboth solid and liquid fertilizer. This fertilizer is preferablydischarged at the rear of the body I0 in a manner which will presentlybe described.

The transversely spaced side plates I8 at the front of the body journaltherebetween a transverse shaft 23. The rear end of the body carries aparallel shaft 24. These shafts respectively carry transversely spaceddrive elements in the form of sprockets 25 and 26. 'I'hese sprocketscarry a discharge means in the form of an endless feeder apron orconveyer generally indicated at 21. This conveyer preferably comprises apair of transversely spaced endless, flexible elements in the form ofchains 28 and 29 trained about the sprockets 25 and 26 on the shafts 23and 24. An important feature of the invention lies in the constructionaldetail consisting of the conforming of the endless apron 21 to the shapeof the bottom I3 of the body IIJ. As is best shown in Figures 1 and 2,the upper run of the apron 21 follows the contour of the oor sectionsI4, I5, and I6. For the purpose of accomplishing this result, there hasbeen provided a first pair of transversely spaced sprockets 29? and 30.The sprockets 293L are located substantially at the junction of thefloor sections I4 and I6, and the sprockets 30 are similarly located atthe junction of the floor sections I4 and I5. The sprockets 30 arerespectively journaled on stub shafts or pilots 3|, and the sprockets29*i are similarly journaled on lstub shafts or pilots 32. The directionof.trave1 of the apron 21 is indicated by the arrow in Figure 1.

Because of the nature of the contents of the spreader body I0, it isdesirable to provide means for shielding certain portions of the apron.To this end, the side sheets II and I2 respectively carry shield means33and 34. Each shield is preferably formed of an inverted sheet-metaltrough rigidly secured along its upper edge to the respective side sheetand extending downwardly and enclosing the sprockets 29 and 30 and alsooverlying portions of the chains 28 and 29, respectively. Thisconstruction prevents extension plate 5I, which extends upwardly tocarry a transverse shaft 52 and rearwardly to carry a transverse shaft53. The shaft 52 is journaled in the extension plates 5| and providesmeans for carrying an upper rotatable beater 54. This beater may be ofany conventional construction and need not be illustrated or describedin detail. The shaft 53 carries thereon a lower beater 55 which maylikewise be of conventional construction. Each of the extension plates5| may have secured thereto supporting means carrying a wide spreadattachment generally indicated at 55. This attachment may be of anysuitable form and is herein illustrated as a transverse spiraldistributor or worm 51 suitably carried on a transverse shaft 58.

Drive means for all parts of the spreader is established by means of therear drive wheels 2| and associated driving mechanism (not shown).

The construction of the apron 21 may be very similar to aprons orconveyers heretofore known, and accordingly the chains 28 and 29 of theapron illustrated here are cross-connected by a plurality of transverseload-engaging elements or slats 14. During rearward travel of the apron,these slats engage the combined liquid and solid fertilizer and move thesame rearwardly toward the distributor means 50 and the wide spreadattachment 56, very much in the usual manner.

The intermediate oor section I4 of the depending liquid-tight bottom I3is provided with a suitable drain 15, by means of which remaining liquidfertilizer may be drained from the body III. The bottom I3 is providedwith guide means 16 engageable with the lower run of the conveyor 21 forthe purpose of guiding the conveyer in its path around the bottom of thebody.

The operation of the spreader is very similar to that of conventionalspreaders and may be readily understood from the foregoing descriptionof the spreader construction. According to the preferred form of theinvention illustrated, both liquid and solid manure is loaded into thebody I0. Since the intermediate portion of the bottom I3 is lower thanthe end portions, and particularly the discharge end portion, of thebody, it will be seen that none of the liquid manure will leak outduring transporting oi the spreader to the eld, and that the dischargeof the liquid manure is confined to the discharge of the solid manure atthe rear end of the machine. Conforming of the apron 21 to the shape ofthe bottom of the spreader provides for desirable and efficient feedingand discharge of both i'orms of manure simultaneously.

'I'he liquid manure tends to separate by gravitation from the solidmanure thus filling the intermediate depending iioor section I4 with theliquid portion of the manure` Heretofore, this separation of the liquidfrom the solid portions of the manure was the final use of the liquidmanure as it was allowed to leak from the distributor body, and noattempt was ever made to recombine it with the solid manure immediatelyprevious to distributing such as is the purpose of the presentinvention. The solid substantially dehydrated portion of the manure isthen carried by the angle irons 14 down through the body of liquidmanure Where it recombines by absorption. When the solid manure iscarrying its maximum amount of liquid manure, it is caused to bedistributed by the distributor end 50 of the machine.

Many means for performing the described method of treatment of manurepreparatory to distributing as a fertilizer may be used, but itis notintendedl to limit the subject patent other- Wise than as necessitatedby the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of handling fertilizer preliminary to spreading, comprisingthe steps of aggregating fertilizer containing liquids and solids,separating the liquids from the solids, and conveying the solidfertilizer through the liquidV fertilizer for recombining by absorptionof the liquids by the solids immediately previous to spreading.

2. A method of handling manure preliminary to spreading as a fertilizer,comprising the steps of aggregating manure containing liquids andsolids, gravitationally separating the liquids from the solids, andconveying the solid manure through the separated liquid manure forrecombining by absorption of the liquids by the solids immediatelyprevious to the spreading.

WILLIAM GRIFFITHS.

